Patent Application
20090050585
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a removable holder for supporting a utensil in a dishwasher basket.
2. Description of the Related Art
Utensil holders are well-known for supporting utensils in a dishwasher, especially utensils that are not readily supported by the vertical tine configurations commonly found in the upper and lower wire-frame rack of contemporary automatic dishwashers. An illustrative group of utensils are elongated utensils having multiple discrete cross sections or varying diameters along their length, such as serving spoons, spatulas, carving knives, etc. These utensils normally have a handle that varies in size and diameter to the working face, such as a spoon, blade, etc, which usually defines a somewhat planar surface.
Prior holders for these utensils support the utensil using spring hooks or clips or supporting the utensil. Contemporary spring hooks and clips rely on a compressive or gripping force to hold the utensil in place. This compressive or gripping force is typically achieved by using resilient materials to fabricate the hook or clip. Repeated exposure of the utensil holder to heat and moisture of the dishwasher often affects the resiliency of the material, with a consequent loss in the gripping force exerted on the utensil. This can result in the utensil being moved due to gravity or vibration, the force of the dishwasher liquid against the utensil, or both. Consequently, the utensil may move to a position in which the surface to be cleaned is not optimally positioned. A common situation is for the spring hooks or clips to hold the utensil by the handle so that the working face is exposed to the wash dishwasher liquid and not covered by the spring hooks or handle. When the spring hooks or clips lose their resiliency, the handle will rotate in response to the spray of dishwasher liquid contacting the generally planar surface of the working face until the handle is rotated such that the generally planar surface is parallel to the direction of the spray. In such a position, the spray of dishwasher liquid does not as effectively clean the working face.
There is a need for a utensil holder which can be utilized in a dishwasher rack which securely holes a utensil in a preselected position, can be readily removed when not needed, is resistant to deterioration from heat and moisture, and can hold a variety of utensils of different sizes and shapes.
A utensil holder for holding a utensil having a working face and a first portion of a greater dimension than a second portion in a wire-frame dish rack of a dishwasher. The utensil holder comprises a coupler configured for mounting to the wire-frame dish rack, a first support element having a first recess, and a second support element having a second recess that is smaller than the first recess. The first support cradles the first portion of the utensil within the first recess and the second support cradles the second portion of the utensil within the second recess.
In the drawings:
Referring to
Referring now to
Each support element 34, 36 defines a cradle that may be formed by a pair of spaced-apart support arms 58, 60 terminating in and joined by an upwardly disposed tongue 66. A first rib 62 may extend along an interior periphery of the support arm 58, and a second rib 64 may extend along an interior periphery of the support arm 60.
Referring to
Referring to
As illustrated in
A preferred embodiment of the utensil holder 10 is illustrated in
The utensil holder 10 may be fabricated of any suitable material having sufficient strength and durability for the purposes described herein. Preferably, the utensil holder 10 may be fabricated of a plastic resistant to deterioration through the repeated exposure to a hot, wet environment characteristic of a dishwasher. A suitable plastic material may be an acetal copolymer, such as Celcon® M 90-34 manufactured by the Ticona unit of Celanese Corporation. The material may have sufficient rigidity to minimize the flexing of the support elements 34, 36 against the utensil 20.
Referring again to
The recesses 54, 56 are relatively sized such that they receive various cross sections found in contemporary utensils while preventing their relative rotation thereby maintaining the utensil 20 in a preselected optimal position relative to the dishwashing sprayers. Thus, the utensil 20 will be securely, but loosely, cradled in the support elements 34, 36 and may be easily inserted into and removed from the utensil holder 10. With each support 54, 56 having multiple recesses, it increases the number of utensil configurations that may be received and supported without rotation.
It should be noted that the utensil holder 10 may have more than two supports 54, 56. The supports 54, 56 may have fewer or more than two recesses. The supports 54, 56 may have a different number of recesses along with differently sized recesses. The recesses need not be longitudinally aligned and could be longitudinally offset from each other.
The utensil holder 10 may be a single body with no moving parts, thereby simplifying its manufacture and minimizing the potential for operational defects. The utensil holder 10 may be supported on virtually any horizontal wire in the dish rack 12, including the top wire and middle wires, thereby optimizing the positioning of the utensil relative to the dishwashing spray jets to maximize cleaning effectiveness. The utensil holder 10 may be securely held to the dish rack 12, yet may be readily removed when not needed in order to enable the area occupied by the utensil holder 10 to be used for other dishes or utensils. The configuration of the recesses and the ribs enables the utensil to be securely, but loosely, held in order to maintain the selected orientation of the utensil relative to the dishwashing spray jets, yet facilitate the easy removal and effective rinsing and drying of the utensil at the end of the wash cycle.
While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.
